The present invention relates generally to optical cables. More specifically, the invention relates to transmit/receive optical cables.
Optical cables include optical waveguides such as optical fibers that transmit optical signals such as voice, video, and/or data information. One type of fiber optic cable design is a zipcord cable. A zipcord cable has two legs each with an optical fiber therein with a jacket generally surrounding each leg. A web portion of the jacket connects the two legs of the jacket forming a preferential tear portion so the craftsman can separate the legs and route the respective optical fibers to their desired locations. Additionally, the optical fiber within each leg includes a colored buffer layer thereon for identification of the optical fibers.
One use for zipcords is transmitting optical signals to, and receiving optical signals from, a desktop location such as a computer, a printer, or interactive cable television. Generally, a first optical fiber of the zipcord is a dedicated transmitting link and the second optical fiber is a dedicated receiving link. In other words, the first optical fiber transmits optical signals from a first server to the desktop location and the second optical fiber is routed to a second server that receives optical signals from the desktop location. Moreover, the transmitting optical link to the desktop generally runs at a relatively high bandwidth, while the receiving optical link from the desktop generally runs at a lower bandwidth. Thus, identification of the legs of a zipcord is important to properly connect the system.
Although, conventional optical fiber zipcords use optical fibers having different colored buffer layers for identification, the buffer layers are hidden when an end of the cable is connectorized. One way of identifying legs of the zipcord after connectorization is by attaching an adhesive label to the connector during the installation of the same; however, the identification should be robust and the labels are apt to come off the connector. Another method of identifying legs is having regularly spaced print statements on one leg of the jacket. Although, the print statement is visible this method has disadvantages. For instance, one disadvantage is that the print statement may not be near the end of the cable, thereby requiring tracing of the print statement. Moreover, the cable can be twisted making tracing of a leg having the print statement a cumbersome, time-consuming, and difficult task. Thus, there is a need for quickly and accurately identifying legs of an optical cable.
The present invention is directed to an optical cable including a first optical waveguide having a predetermined bandwidth capacity and a second optical waveguide having a predetermined bandwidth capacity. A bandwidth capacity ratio being defined as the predetermined bandwidth capacity between the first and second optical waveguides, the bandwidth capacity ratio being about 2:1 or greater.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an optical cable including a first optical waveguide having a first buffer layer that is a first color, a second optical waveguide having a second buffer layer that is a second color, and a jacket. The jacket being a third color and having a first leg and a second leg that respectively surround the first and second optical waveguides. The first leg of the jacket is a first shade of the third color and the second leg of the jacket is a second shade of the third color due to the different colors of the first and second buffer layers within the respective legs.
The present invention is further directed to an optical cable including a first optical waveguide, a second optical waveguide, and a jacket. The jacket has a first leg and a second leg connected by a web. A portion of the first optical waveguide is disposed within the first leg of the jacket and a portion of the second optical waveguide is disposed within the second leg of the jacket. The first leg being a different color than a portion of the second leg.
Additionally, the present invention is directed to an optical cable including a first optical waveguide having a predetermined bandwidth capacity, a second optical waveguide having a predetermined bandwidth capacity, and a jacket. A bandwidth capacity ratio being defined as the predetermined bandwidth capacity between the first and second optical waveguides, the bandwidth capacity ratio being about 2:1 or greater. The jacket having a first leg and a second leg connected by a web, wherein the first leg has a shape that is different than a shape of the second leg.